§ Mr. Robert HughesOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I congratulate my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary 1290 on the Government's recognition of the MPLA Government of Angola. May I draw your attention, Mr. Speaker, to the fact that that recognition was made in reply to Question No. 5, which concerns relations between the British Government and the People's Republic of China? Although I respect your desire, Mr. Speaker, that Back Bench questions should be relevant to Questions on the Order Paper, does this not put Back Benchers in an extremely difficult position in trying to respect your ruling and frame relevant questions? Is it not possible even now to allow extended questioning on Question No. 5 in order that one of the most important issues of the day, namely, the future of Angola, should be put to the Foreign Secretary?
§ Mr. SpeakerThe hon. Gentleman has raised two issues. First, Question No. 5 referred directly to Angola but the content of the Minister's reply is not my responsibility. It is the Minister's responsibility. Secondly, important as Question Time is, it is not a time to debate important issues. If I believe that the House is deeply concerned about a given subject, I try to let questioning go on a little longer.
It is my view that when an hon. Member is fortunate enough to be called to ask a supplementary question on someone else's Question, he is very lucky during Question Time if he catches my eye a second time.
§ Mr. Robert HughesFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Although I entirely accept your ruling that the contents of ministerial answers is not a matter for you, I respectfully suggest that the protection of all Back Benchers is, to some extent, your responsibility. Therefore, may I convey through you, if possible, to the Leader of the House and to other members of the Government the view that if the Government wish to make statements they should take the opportunity to make them afresh?
§ Mr. SpeakerI am sure that the hon. Gentleman's point has been noted.
§ Mr. PeytonFurther to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Although I fully appreciate that you have the greatest difficulty in exerting your very proper influence upon Ministers, nevertheless I hope that you will persist in trying to 1291 encourage them to use a framework of conduct which is convenient to the House of Commons. If they slip in important announcements such as the one referred to, it is a great disadvantage to Back Benchers who welcome the opportunity to comment upon and explore announcements which expose new departures in Government policy.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. I am much obliged to the right hon. Gentleman. I hope that I have the support of the House in trying to hurry up Question Time. The words of the hon. Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hughes) are directed to the Government rather than to me. However, I shall do my best to ensure that both questions and answers are reasonably brief and to the point. I cannot control the content of answers but I have some influence on supplementary questions.
§ Mr. William HamiltonOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I think the whole House will agree with what you said about speeding up Question Time. However, I hope that it will not speed up too much. A predecessor of yours took great pride in the fact that he sometimes got through 70 Questions at Question Time, which was fast. The reason for the Question hour is to allow hon. Members to get at the Executive, and if we proceed too quickly we shall fail in that completely.
§ Mr. SpeakerYes, I quite understand that. I do not know to which of my predecessors the hon. Gentleman referred. I know that it was not my immediate predecessor. I do not measure progress in arithmetical terms, but we have not gone beyond Question 25 in the two weeks that I have been in the Chair and I do not regard that as unreasonable for the House, because although on some Questions hon. Members want to press Ministers much more, other hon. Members are equally eager to reach the Questions that they have tabled. However, I shall do my best.